Overtime
by sue-sylvester-shuffle
Summary: After Grell is rejected once again by Sebastian- on Valentine's Day, no less- the redheaded reaper is left with crushed self-esteem, and William is left to pick up the pieces. WILLIAM/GRELL.


It was late afternoon. The sun was setting on the horizon, but its last dying rays were clouded by the onslaught of rain coming down from the grey sky. Footsteps splashed down the road that led to the Phantomhive Manor. These footsteps belonged to a very angry William T. Spears.

"Damn that Grell Sutcliff." the dark-haired reaper growled to no one in particular, stomping through puddles as he walked briskly. "He should've been back at headquarters hours ago. Why is he so averse to doing what I ask of him?"

He could see the tall Phantomhive Manor rearing up in the distance. Rain slid down its many roofs and windows. William picked up the pace; he was almost there.

When he finally reached the manor, William saw Grell sitting on the steps outside. The dark-haired reaper braced himself for the flirtatious affection he was about to be subjected to, but it didn't come. In fact, Grell didn't even seem to notice him. The redhead was sitting with his head bowed low, staring at the ground. His long hair lay in soaking scarlet strands down his face.

"Reaper Sutcliff." William called out.

Grell glanced up. His chartreuse eyes were dull. "Hi, Will." he replied flatly, his voice lacking its usual boisterous enthusiasm.

"Come on. Let's go." William said tersely. "You're going to put me in overtime if you take much longer, Sutcliff. And you know how I hate overtime."

"Yes." Grell mumbled, but he didn't move.

William crossed his arms as frustration seared through him, as it always did when he was faced with the redheaded reaper. "Sutcliff. I said _come on._"

"Do you think Sebastian will ever like me?" asked Grell suddenly.

William frowned. "That's not helping."

Grell ignored this. "Do you?" he asked again.

William decided to humour him. "Do I think Sebastian Michaelis, the _demon, _will ever _like _you?" he repeated slowly. "My answer is no, I do not."

"I didn't think you would." whispered Grell. He stared back down at the ground and sighed deeply. His eyes were wet. _From the rain, _decided William logically. He hoped that even Grell Sutcliff was not fool enough to cry over a crude demon.

"Sutcliff, he is a _demon._" added William. "Demons do not 'like' or show affection to anyone, especially not irritating grim reapers such as yourself."

"Right." mumbled the redheaded reaper in a barely audible voice so different from his normal, loud tone that it made William a bit concerned.

"What happened here?" he asked. "What did the demon do to you?"

"I came into the Phantomhive Manor to give him a kiss. For Valentine's Day, of course." Grell explained. "But he kicked me out. He told me that no one would ever love me if I kept throwing myself around." He glanced up, green eyes wide and indignant. "What kind of thing is that to tell a lady, especially on _Valentine's Day?_"

"He's a _demon._" William reminded Grell again. "You need to stop caring about what he says about you."

Grell laughed softly to himself. "I couldn't do that, Will. There's just no way I could. You… you wouldn't understand." Rain was running down his face, but the liquid that was flowing now was definitely tears. Grell's eyes were red, to match his hair and clothes. He sniffled and wiped his eyes, as spiderwebs of running mascara dribbled down his pale face.

William went over and sat down on the steps next to his colleague. The rain that had gathered on the steps immediately soaked through the seat of his pants, and he felt a sharp twinge of frustration at this, but held it down. "I think you underestimate me, Reaper Sutcliff." he said quietly. "I've loved people as well. I do understand the feeling. But you need to understand that Sebastian Michaelis is not human, even less so than you or I. His feelings and words are tainted with the underworld from which he hails. Whatever he says to you is not valid. He is evil and in no way does he have your best intentions at heart."

Grell blushed a little at his sudden proximity to William. "So you're saying that whatever he says is wrong?" he asked slowly, wiping his eyes again.

"For the most part, yes."

"Then you think… someday, I _will _find love?" Grell inquired hopefully.

"Well, someday, yes. I definitely think you will." William replied.

The redhead smiled. "Thanks, Will."

"Don't mention it, Sutcliff."

Grell sniffled again and ran his gloved hand across his cheeks, smudging the runny makeup. He hiccuped once and then laughed. "You're going to have overtime now. It's my fault- I'm sorry."

_I told you that when I first got here, _thought William bitterly. But he didn't say that. Instead, he said, "I think this conversation was well worth the overtime I will receive."

A smile spread across the redheaded reaper's face. "Thank you…" he breathed. He leaned in closer and rested his soaking wet head on William's shoulder. The dark-haired reaper stiffened instinctively, but for once he did not feel the rush of distaste that he usually did whenever Grell came in physical contact with him. No, this time felt different. It felt _warm, _like the summer sun, or a fire burning inside of William's own body, despite the frigid rain pouring all around them.

"You know what I said before?" William murmured, barely audible, so that only Grell could hear.

"Mm? What did you say?"

"What I said before. About all this being worth overtime."

Grell lifted his head from William's shoulder. "Yes." he said nervously. He looked as though he thought William was going to take it back.

"I didn't mean it." William began. He allowed a rare and cherished smile to grace his stoic face when he saw the horror appear on his colleague's face, and he continued. "I should have said… _you're _worth all the overtime I will receive. Not just this wretched conversation. You, Grell Sutcliff. I am sorry Sebastian Michaelis said what he has."

He knew it was the right thing to say. Grell's cheeks turned pink, and he gave a small gasp. "Oh, _William._" he said in a sultry voice, and put his head back on William's shoulder. The latter raised one of his arms and put it around the redheaded reaper's shoulders.

"Now do you care what the demon says about you?" William whispered softly.

"No." Grell admitted breathlessly. "Not at all."

end


End file.
